


When all is lost, then all is found

by Ravens_Are_My_Sidekicks



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:01:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21623419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravens_Are_My_Sidekicks/pseuds/Ravens_Are_My_Sidekicks
Summary: Alternate take on Frozen 2.  What if Anna breaking the dam did not free Elsa?
Relationships: Anna & Elsa (Disney), Anna/Elsa (Disney), Elsa & Iduna (Disney)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 140





	When all is lost, then all is found

_ Elsa _

Darkness. Coldness, like she had never felt before. It would be so easy to slip back into the empty void, but something at the edge of her mind called to her. There was still something she needed to do. Someone was waiting for her. 

“Anna…”

Elsa opened her eyes. She felt strange. The last memory she had was ice blossoming on her skin, her limbs becoming stiff and unresponsive, desperately sending out one last message before…

“My darling, you’ve been sleeping for so long.” The warm voice broke her from her trance.

“Mother?!” 

Iduna stood before her, not just reflected on the walls of ice, but tangible and real. Elsa threw herself into her open arms. She felt solid beneath her, but her arms around her did not feel like he memories from childhood. There was something missing

When she pulled away, Iduna’s smile was affectionate, but touched by sadness.

“Mother?” Elsa asked uncertainly. 

“I am a memory my darling. I could not bear to leave you completely when your father and I were forced to cross to the other side, so a small part of my spirit remained in the dark river, where the past can be preserved. A memory of my love for you. But I never expected to guide you like this.”

She placed a hand on the statue beside her. With a jolt, Elsa realized it was herself, turned complete to ice. 

“I’m I dead? Is this why I can talk to you?” 

“You stand on the line between life and death. Elsa, you have ventured too deep into the river and it has frozen your heart. It would have meant certain death for an ordinary mortal, but your powers preserved a spark of life.” 

Elsa touched her own statue curiously. She noticed a faint stream of fine snowflakes constantly flowed between her physical body and “spirit”. 

“So what do I need need to do to escape?”

Iduna smiled. “Surely you know the answer to thawing a frozen heart?”

“Only an act of true love can unfreeze a frozen heart…”. Elsa recited easily.

“Anna! If I can get to Anna!” Elsa said with excitement.

“Mother, we were able to do it before, melt a frozen heart, I just need to reach Anna.” 

Iduna’s next words fell like a blow.

“She will have to come to you. Your spirit is tied to your body, you can not leave this island.”

“But that is impossible!” She had barely made it here with all her powers, there is no way Anna can survive the dark seas by herself. 

“I can’t ask that of Anna.”

“She is your best hope of rejoining this world.” 

“I can’t ask her to risk her life to save me, again.” Elsa said firmly, even as her heart sank at the thought of never again seeing the people most important to her again. Anna, Olaf, Kristoff, and even Sven, they are the family she has built in the last three years. 

“It won’t be all bad right?” She added, trying to put on a brave face. “I’ll be with you Mother, and Father.” 

Iduna sensed her inner struggle. “Elsa, you have grown so much since your father and I last saw you. You have the right to make up your own mind. We will always be waiting for you on the other side, whenever that time may be. You will never be alone. But as a mother who loves both of her children, I ask you to think of Anna as well. How she might feel with all of us gone?” 

Elsa swallowed. She knows the feeling of almost losing someone she loved… when she thought she had lost Anna three years ago…. She did not want Anna to go through that. 

“Will you not give Anna a choice as well?” Iduna asked gently. 

“I know what Anna would choose. If she knows I’m alive she will come. She’s an idiot sometimes.” Elsa said affectionately. 

Iduna smiled. “Then you have your answer.” She touched the glacier walls which rippled beneath her fingers. 

“Before you do anything, look into what has happened since you’ve been asleep. In this cavern, you can look at any point in the past through the waters’ memories”

“How long has it been?” 

“Close to a month.”

Her face must have reflected her shock. Has nobody been aware of where she was for that long? Anna must be worried sick. 

Mother pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. Elsa felt it like the touch of a butterfly’s wing, faint and ethereal, but it carried with it the faint memory of warmth and comfort from her childhood.

“Take your time. I’m here if you need me.”

Elsa took a deep breath, and summoned the first memory of Anna after they seperated…

  
  
  


_ Kristoff _

Kristoff gave up on the door frame he was fixing. Carpentry wasn’t his strong suit, but everyone is pitching in where they can after the “great flood”. The trolls had kept everyone safe on the cliffs, but Arrendelle was completely destroyed as water rushed down the fjord. Luckily, the Northuldrans had offered to help with the rebuilding and reconstruction is well underway less than a month after the floodwaters receded. Larger structures like the castle will take time to restore, but everyone has a shelter for the winter. Everything is going as well as can be, for a kingdom that was invaded by vengeful spirits, and then washed away in a tidal wave. 

He eyed the crooked door frame. His skills aside, his mind wasn’t on the task at hand. He was worried about Anna. Worried was a gross understatement. He was nearly out of his mind with anxiety. She had not been the same since returning to Arrendele. Gone was the light hearted, mischievous girl. In her place, a serious young woman who had thrown herself into the rebuilding of the kingdom. 

Not too far from him, Anna was pouring over the plan for the rebuilding of the palace, her brows furrowed in concentration. It was hard work learning to rebuild AND govern a kingdom on the fly. And although Anna had not talked about it at all, Kristoph was sure she was not over Elsa’s death. He wished there’s something more he could do.

He watched as the Archbishop approached Anna, making his presence known with a little cough. 

“Your Majesty.”

Anna looked up sharply. She did not like being addressed by her sister’s title, but many of the townspeople have started doing so.

“As the official mourning period is almost at an end..have you given any more thought to the coronation?”

Anna squeezed her eyes closed, rubbing one hand across her forehead. 

“It’s too soon to talk of that Archbishop.” 

“I understand why your majesty may feel that way”. Said the Archbishop carefully. 

“But I think it’s better for the people to see you crowned. They need a leader in this time of crisis, and a Queen they can look to.” 

‘I will think about it.” 

The Archbishop bowed, knowing that pushing further is pointless. 

Anna stared unseeingly down at the architecture plans. Suddenly, she looked up, caught Kristoff’s eye, and walked quickly over to him. 

“Kristoff, I need to talk to you. C’mon.” She grabbed his arm and dragged him to the stables. 

Sven raised his head from his hay pile and eyed them curiously as Anna stomped in and closed the doors. 

“What’s going on.” Kristoff asked nervously. They haven’t spoken much at all since Elsa’s death. Was Anna finally ready to talk about that? Kristoff knew he was a guy who is perpetually putting his foot in his mouth, so he was really not prepared to tread on such a delicate topic. Anna was pacing furiously back and forth in front of him. Kristoff braced himself. 

“I’ve thought about this over and over again. We and the Northuldrans have searched the forest carefully, and found no trace of Elsa. Besides, if Elsa was anywhere in the forest she would have sent us a signal by now with the fog having lifted. The only other logical place she could be is Atohallan. We know she was there because she sent me the memory of our grandfather. She must still be trapped there. Kristoff, I have to go back there. I have to save her!”

Kristoff was still trying to process all mental the curve balls Anna had thrown at him. Elsa was dead, or so they had all assumed. Sure Anna never spoke about it or ordered a state funeral as befitting tradition, but they had thought she just needed more time to come to terms with the loss of her sister. 

“You think Elsa is alive? But you told me Olaf…”. 

He snapped his mouth shut again at Anna’s crestfallen expression. Bringing up Olaf...cue foot in mouth. 

“I know…”. Anna said softly after a moment’s uncomfortable silence. “I thought so at first too. But Elsa could have simply lost her powers. Which also would explain why she’s trapped. Which is why I have got to go to her.”

So many thoughts ran through Kristoff’s mind. Anna could be delusional from grief. He needs to talk sense into her.

“Ok, one thing at a time. You are talking about going to a place from a fairy tale no one has ever reached...”

“Elsa did. That means I can too. I just need to figure out how she did it. Elsa is out there, and alive, I can’t explain it, but I can feel in… in here.” She placed her fist over her heart. “I need to go to her.”

Kristoff thought back to the first time they met on the North Mountain. How she thought this girl was absolutely insane, to go and try and reason with someone who had just frozen an entire kingdom. Anna’s faith was proven then. Maybe it will again. 

“You keep on saying ‘I’ instead of ‘we’... are you planning to go alone?! Because no matter how crazy this place sounds, Sven and I are going with you.”

“Kristoff...I’ve been thinking about this for weeks. I can’t leave townspeople with no one to look after them. And you are the only one I can trust to do that.”

“But my place… is with you.”

Anna shook her head. “The one thing I’ve told myself since Elsa has been gone, is to do the next right thing. And I have done that, for Arrendelle. But I want to be selfish, and I can only do that if I can count on you Kristoff.”

Anna shuffled her feet and looked at the ground. “Besides, if on the off chance we don’t make it back, you are the closest family we have. I would trust you to take care of Arrendelle.”

Kristoff enveloped her in a bear hug.

“Oh no, you are coming back, and with Elsa. If you don’t think you are going to make it, just think of me and poor Sven, stuck in formal court attire and buried in paper work for the rest of our life.”

“So you will do it?”

“I will. I promised you I’ll always be where you need me. If this is what you need...” He held her tighter. “Just come back safe.” He whispered. 

“Stop it, you are squeezing the tears out of me.” Anna replied, hiding her face in his neck. 

  
  
  


_ Elsa _

Elsa wiped her eyes angrily. She was furious at herself for being the cause of Anna’s suffering yet again. Watching Anna losing Olaf, and stumbling forward alone tore her apart. How could she have been so stupid and ventured too deep? She should have heeded the warnings. 

“Now is not the time to get stuck in the past. Blaming yourself won’t change it. Focus on the now” Iduna said wisely, pointing towards the glacier walls. They showed Anna riding towards the enchanted forest. 

Elsa straightened herself. “Yes, Mother.” Anna was coming to find her, and it filled Elsa with love and fear. She must help her, somehow. She paced back and forth. She had no magic, and not even a body. She was only a spirit. 

But spirits can speak to other spirits. She was able to talk to Mother, so maybe…

The ancient Northuldra melody swelled within her and burst from her lips. The song echoed and travelled through the glacier. The siren’s call that brought her here became her messenger. Please… let someone out there hear her…

A gust of wind blasted through the cavern, whistling between the glacier cracks. It slowed to a breeze around Elsa’s frozen body, scattering some loose bits of snow. 

“Gale!” 

The wind spirit kicked up some tiny snow tornado’s around Elsa’s feet. 

“I’m trapped here. Anna is coming to get me, but you have to help her make the journey. Keep her safe.”

Gale whooshed around her twice, and howled out of the cavern. 

Elsa took a deep breath. Gale will help. Now she has to wait, and hope Anna can do the rest. 

  
  


  
  
  


  
  


_ Anna _

Leaves crunched under the hooves of Anna’s pony. It was almost winter now, and the trees are mostly bare in the enchanted forest. It will snow soon. The ground rustled, and the pony snorted and shied. 

“Whoa easy boy.” Anna patted the neck of her mount. From the leaves popped a bright blue salamander. 

“Hey Bruni.” 

The fire spirit flicked it’s eye with it’s tongue in reply. He scrambled onto a nearby log. 

“Are you leading the way?” 

A breeze rustled her hair mischievously freeing a few tendrils from her braid. 

“Gale! I’m so glad to see you guys.” She nudged her suspicious pony gently. “Let’s go boy. They are friends.” 

Gale cleared the path of leaves ahead of them so Bruni can scramble freely. Anna chatted with them as they went along about the Northurdra, how well they’ve been getting on with the Arrendelians, and everything they are learning from them, especially about the spirits. Gale and Bruni couldn’t talk back, but she had a captive audience. It’s nice to just ramble to someone sometimes.

Anna noticed clouds starting to gather. As they went further, sunlight was blocked completely, and soon rain started to fall. In the distance, Anna caught the first glimpse of the dark sea. They descended a narrow path that took them to the beach. The rain was falling full force by now. Anna dismounted in the shelter of a cove so her pony could at least stay dry.

She walked just before the edge of the water and looked out at the dark sea. Rain lashed down from black skies, the waves towered and crested before crashing thunderously to shore. Black water as far as the eye can see. 

“What now?” She asked Bruni who was staring off to the cliffs around them. In reply, he shook himself, and then scampered up her leg and hid himself into the folds of her cloak. 

“I get it, I don’t like the rain either, but what are you doing?”

With a rumble of sliding rock, part of the cliff shifted. It unfolded into the figure of one of the earth giants. Slowly, it lowered it’s hand until it rested palm up in front of Anna.

“Ook, I guess I’m suppose to get on”. 

She had to scramble just to get over the tip of the giant’s finger. She flinched when the giant started to close it’s hand, but it only did so halfway to cradle her in its palm. Then it lifted her up… and up… and up….

Anna thought this must be what the being at the top of the world feels like, as the giant lifted her above it’s head. Then it started moving forward, into the sea. Each step the giant took shook the earth, until it stepped into the water, which muffled the sound. The water crashed furiously into it, but it stood firm, advancing slowly one step at a time. First it was up it’s knees, than it’s chest, and finally only the tip of it’s head, and arm holding her aloft remain above water. It opened it’s hand, and waited. 

Anna looked around. She was completely surrounded by deep water. Now what?

Gale nudged her in the back. When Anna didn’t move, it nudged harder, until she stumbled forwards.

Anna stood at the edge of the giant’s palm and looked into the churning waters below. Gale prodded at her impatiently. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” She muttered to herself. 

The spirits have been leading her so far. Time for a literal leap of faith. 

“Here goes nothing.” She closed her eyes and jumped. 

She might have screamed a little bit, but thankfully nobody is around hear her. Gale whooshed around her to slow her fall as Nokk the water spirit exploded to the surface. She landed perfectly on his back. 

“Hehe, I knew that would work out.” Anna muttered unconvincingly to herself as she patted the water horse’s neck. Nokk snorted. 

Anna hugged tight on to his neck as Nokk took off. He was faster than the fastest horse she had ridden on land, and with no saddle or stirrups, staying on his slippery back was tricky to say the least. Thankfully, his speed meant the journey was a short one. Very soon Anna can see a shape breaking the water in the horizon. As they got closer, it revealed itself to be an enormous glacier. 

“So Atohallan is a really big chunk of ice. Somehow I’m not surprised.” Why can’t their adventures be be somewhere warm, like a nice tropical island? 

Anna slid off Nokk back and patted his nose. 

“Stay here ok? I’ll be right back.” Nook huffed cold wet air into her palm. Anna really hoped that was a yes. 

She stepped cautiously into the the opening of the glacier.

“Wow.” 

It looked even bigger from the inside with it’s massive walls and deep chasms. Each step she took echoed endlessly in it’s halls and corridors. It was also hauntingly beautiful. The colors of the northern lights flickered across it’s ceiling, ice shimmered with the mysterious glow that lit up the entire place. 

She soon found evidence that Elsa has been here. The spikes of ice that must have blocked the entrance to one chamber has been scattered like giant bowling pins. A formerly impassible canyon have pillars erected the perfect distance apart to leap across. It was Elsa’s magic.

“Hold on Elsa…I’m coming!”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_ Elsa _

Elsa watched with amazement and pride as Anna made her way into Atohallan,

“She is finding her way, like you did.” Iduna said besides her. 

“My little sister is pretty amazing.” 

“I am proud of both of you.” Iduna said. 

Anna had made her way to the frozen memories Elsa had created. They shared a chuckled when Anna aimed a kick at the pile of snow she recognized as formerly being Hans. She was almost at the deepest part of the glacier, the heart.

Iduna took Elsa’s hand. “The time for us to part is near my darling. Your spirit must return to your body before Anna reaches you.”

Elsa clasped their hands tightly. “Mother, will I see you again?” 

“Elsa, we will meet again, but not until you have lived a very long life and have many more adventures to tell. You no longer need me here. You have found yourself. I know you and Anna will take care of each other… so I am finally content to pass from this world.”

“Thank you. I won't forget what you’ve taught me.”

Elsa did not feel sad, instead there was a feeling of lightness in her chest. Her parent’s death have weighed on her all these years. Being able to speak to her mother again, say the things she never got to say, was finally allowing her to close this painful chapter of her past. 

“Goodbye, Mother.”

Iduna smiled as her outline faded away, until nothing remained except the warm glow in Elsa’s heart. 

  
  


_ Anna _

There was only one exit out of the memory chamber, a set of steps leading down a dark tunnel. The back of Anna’s neck prickled as she descended. She can sense ancient powerful magic here. The stairs abruptly ended at the rim of a crater. A single shaft of light illuminated the bottom. 

Anna saw the frozen form of her sister, her arms extended outwards, reaching for her… 

Anna jumped. The landing was softer than she expected. She immediately 

reached for Elsa’s outstretched arm ... and fell a foot length short. She couldn’t move any further. She looked down and saw her feet were frozen fast to the ground, the ice already creeping up to her knees.

No. She can’t fail now. Not when she’s so close. 

Something popped out of her cape and scurried down. Suddenly flames erupted on the ground around her, snaking across the floor and shooting up the walls. Bruni! She had forgotten all about him. 

“Aahhh hot hot hot!” Anna cried out, stomping her feet as her boots smoldered with heat. Wait.. she could move her feet! She lunged forward, practically toppling into Elsa, awkwardly grabbing onto her shoulder and waist. The body against her was cold and hard for just an instance, and then warm and yielding. 

Anna looked up into vivid blue eyes full of life. “Elsa…”

The sound of ice breaking apart echoed throughout the chamber. Then the ground collapsed beneath them. 

The dark sea sucked them in. The cold water was paralyzing. Anna couldn’t move. Her only instinct was to hold on to Elsa, no matter what happened. 

Blue light glowed around them banishing the darkness. It was Elsa’s magic, and suddenly they were rising. They burst to the surface with a whoosh and the water solidified around them as it turned into ice. 

“I’m got you Anna. I’m here.” Anna was surrounded by warmth. Elsa was holding her in her arms. 

Anna suddenly couldn’t speak. Elsa was literally glowing from the after effect of using her powers. She looked like a goddess, more perfect than she remembered. Her sister was so beautiful, so alive. 

“I missed you.” She finally choked out. And then she was crying, not just a few tears, but uncontrollable wrenching sobs as all the emotions from the past month flooded over her. 

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for leaving you.” Elsa said over and over again, and that just made her cry harder. She buried her face in the crook of her neck and let go of all her fear and anguish, knowing Elsa was here to protect her. 

“Whoa… did I come at a bad time?” 

Anna scrubbed at her blurry eyes. 

“Olaf?!” 

The snowman scratched his head. “We were in a cave… and I wasn’t feeling well. Now we are in the middle of lots of water… and Elsa’s here too. Did I miss something?”

“Olaf!!!” Anna threw herself around the snowman laughing AND crying. Elsa pulled the three of them tightly together.

“Aww, I love warm hugs.” Olaf said happily. “Although this one is a bit wet and salty too.”

Elsa wiped her cheeks tenderly. “I know you have a lot you want to say to me, but let’s go back to Arrendelle first ok?” 

“Some pajamas and a hot fire sounds really good right now..” Anna agreed looking down on her soaked clothes. 

“And hot chocolate!” They said in unison, and then exchanged identical grins. 

Elsa whistled and Nokk broke through the ice, shaking his mane. Elsa helped Anna up, and then mounted behind her. Olaf hopped on behind them with a whoop and giggle. 

“Ready?” Elsa asked picking up the reigns. 

“Ready!” Sung Olaf hanging on to Elsa’s cape with his little twig hands.

Anna leaned back against Elsa, feeling her solid presence behind her. Elsa squeezed her gently between her arms. 

“Let’s go home.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> The plot of Frozen 2 was a huge disappointment to me, especially the ending. There was also so much retcon-ing of Elsa and Anna's characters so they make "decisions" to fit the ridiculous plot. This fic is my head canon, and I'm sticking by it!
> 
> I have a frozen side blog on tumblr if anyone wants to talk about the movie queenofnorthmountain.tumblr.com/


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